Gorbachev's interpreter reacts to Russia-Ukraine crisis, escalations in tension since Cold War's end

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's interpreter, Pavel Palazhchenko, said the escalating Russia-Ukraine crisis has left many diplomats deeply disappointed.

He lived through the historic moments leading to the end of the Cold War, side by side with American and Soviet leaders, carefully relaying their messages. Palazhchenko told Fox News he hoped that all wouldn't be lost, and that its spirit and lessons could come to mind in this time of crisis. While he admitted much of the legacy left by former President Reagan and Gorbachev has eroded, something "is still with us," he said. 

"We still have this experience of two nations that are very widely apart on many issues working together to address some of the challenges that the world is facing today," Palazhchenko continued. "Some of those challenges were present 30 or 40 years ago, but some are new and there will be new ones. Without Russia and the United States, and I would add China and Europe, working on those challenges anew, the world will be in an extremely difficult place," he noted.